Tuesday, 28 September 2021
Numbers don’t lie.
6 weeks into our COVID vaccination clinic, and I’m delighted to report that we have administered over 3500 doses in our community, a HUGE thank you and well done to every one that has had their first dose.
We have had some statistics release relating to the current outbreak in Auckland and Wellington of the delta strain - they make for some interesting reading -
Total Cases (8/09/21) : 855
Non-vaccinated : 702 (82%)
One dose : 115 (13%)
Two doses : 38 ( 4% )
Of those in Hospital : 88
Non Vaccinated 72 (82%)
One Dose : 15 (17%)
Two doses 1 (1%)
The caveat is of course is that our vaccination program is very much in its infancy, and there are not evenly distributed numbers here, but these numbers do indicate that 1) Vaccination does help reduce the incidence of catching the disease 2) Vaccination helps to prevent serious outcomes (hospitalisation) 3) Two doses are better than one.
If we look at the data from the US - a MUCH larger sample size we can see that these conclusions match very closely - the Pfizer vaccine are highly effective against death and hospitalisation (98%) and whilst the delta strain causes greater ‘breakthrough’ infections amongst fully vaccinated - you won’t get very sick, and you reduce the risk of catching COVID by wearing a mask.
We can’t vaccinate our children under the age of 12, in some states of America , where vaccine rates are low - this cohort is 5% of the population, but 20% of those hospitalised with COVID. If you’re on the fence about getting the vaccine, or if its all a bit too difficult, I encourage you to be in contact with us - we can help. Getting vaccinated helps our community and it helps our Tamariki.
If you know of someone in our community that needs help accessing a vaccine, please reach out to us - 03 4779793. We have changed our clinic hours to make it easier for you too - open Saturdays from Sept 25th. And finally, please Don’t forget your second dose - it makes a significant difference.
Andrew